# Tucson Raytheon Workers Negotiate Labor Deal

Raytheon and the union representing nearly 2,200 current and retired workers at the company’s Tucson, Arizona, facility are beginning negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement. The union is seeking improved working conditions as federal pressure to replenish munitions increases production demands, creating a potential labor-continuity risk for a key missile-systems manufacturing hub. The signals identify no specific agency, contract, or negotiation end date.

- Procurement teams and contractors relying on Raytheon missile-system output should account for potential labor-related effects on production continuity and delivery schedules.
- The negotiations connect workforce conditions with federal munitions-replenishment demand; companies supporting the supply chain may benefit from assessing their own production dependencies and schedule exposure.
- Paul Shepherd, a union international representative, said: “If they want to meet those demands, they’re going to need to partner with us to do it.”

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Published:** October 05, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. federal government

### Vendors
- Raytheon (Defense contractor)
- RTX Corp. (Parent company of Raytheon)

### Key Quotes
> If they want to meet those demands, they’re going to need to partner with us to do it.
> — Paul Shepherd, international representative

### Sources
- [The union representing Raytheon employees who are helping to replenish munitions expended in the US-Israel war with Iran are leveraging federal pressure on the defense contractor to push for better working conditions. https://t.co/OHV5NcIAHU](https://x.com/BGOV/status/2107209298157646023) - twitter-defense